Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson has criticised internet trolls for ‘horrific’ comments made about her on-screen daughter who has Down’s syndrome.
Two-year-old Eva Lorente, who lives in Oswaldtwistle, plays Minnie Blake on the Channel 4 soap, the daughter of Nikki’s character Maxine.
But Nikki has revealed that the toddler gets trolled online for having Down’s syndrome.
Speaking to the panel on a recent episode of Loose Women, Nikki said: “My daughter on the show she is phenomenal, she’s beautiful, she’s two.
“Her mum Alana says to me she gets some horrific stuff sent to her. She was telling me yesterday that one of the ones she got off someone was ‘you should be ashamed of your daughter, she’s disgusting’.
The soap star then angrily added “She is two, she’s two.”
Eva, who attends a day nursery in Great Harwood and is the daughter of Alana and Paul Lorente, started working on the show when she was three months old.
Alana, 31, told the Observer: “I don’t think being angry back at them will ever help the situation. It’s just easier to block and ignore them.
“I do keep an eye on things online and things that are being said. It’s mostly positive. For every one bad comment there’s 200 good comments.
“You get a thick skin when you’ve got a child with special needs. It’s something you have to prepare yourself for.
“It’s definitely better than I thought it would be. Every negative comment is an opportunity to educate people about Down’s syndrome.”
Alana said Eva joined the show to help raise awareness of people with Down’s syndrome.
She said: “A lot of young people watch Hollyoaks and the statistics for Down Syndrome are very high for termination.
“That’s the reason why we did it and she absolutely loves it.
“Eva has known Nikki since she was three months old and they have got a very special bond.
“Nikki is really brilliant with all of the awareness she raises for Down Syndrome. We couldn’t thank her enough for that.
Nikki appeared at an event with Eva and her family in Great Harwood earlier this year in aid of World Down Syndrome Day. It raised more than £1,300 and was organised by Caz Moreton of the Accrington Lions, who is also Eva’s great-aunt and main chaperone for when she films on Hollyoaks.
